BEIJING, Aug 18 (Bernama) -- Only six Malaysian athletes are left as the doors to another medal for Malaysia from the Beijing Olympics are closed to allow merely a peek, after Lee Chong Wei's silver from badminton.
Tuesday, cyclist Azizulhasni Awang races for fifth to eighth placing in the men's sprint. His rivals are former wold champion Theo Bos of the Netherlands, Kein Sireau of France and another Dutch rider, Tuen Mulder.
On Wednesday, diver Pandelela Rinong, the 'baby' of the 33-athlete contingent, will take to the 10m platform only to glean experience. The 15-year-old, who was plucked as a young talent at nine, is the youngest diver to win a gold medal in the SEA Games last year, in the synchronised event.
Teammate, Bryan Nickson Lomas, hits the dive board on Friday, with hopes of making the last 18 to qualify for the semifinal. He was placed 19th in Athens and was ranked seventh in the World Diving Championships last year.
Walking mum Yuan Yu Fang's 20km event is on Thursday morning. The former Chinese national who became a Malaysian citizen in 1997 timed 1:32.48s at the Asian Race Walking Championships in Japan this year.
Also on Thursday, taekwondo exponent Elaine Teo will square off against Azize Tanrikulu of Turkey in the featherweight (below 57kg ). If she wins, she will move into a quarterfinal bout against Diana Lopez of the United States or Chonnapas Premwaew of Thailand.
Tanrikulu was fifth in the European Championships this year.
Che Chew Chan, the other taekwondo pugilist, who upset China's reigning Olympic champion Luo Wei in the Asian Championships in April this year enroute to a silver medal, is the last Malaysian to take the competition in the middleweight contest on Saturday, the eve of the Games closing.
Che opens her Olympics debut against Evgeniya Karimova of Uzbekistan who was fifth place in heavyweight category in the Asian tournament this year.
Chong Wei's runner-up place to China's Lin Dan for the badminton men's singles crown, the only podium achievement by Malaysia in the outing here, raises Malaysia's overall medals in Olympics history to two silver and two bronze medals.-- BERNAMA
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